Gold Coast out, no takers for CWG

In another major blow to the next Commonwealth Games (CWG) scheduled in 2026, Australian city Gold Coast has also withdrawn its interest in hosting the edition, raising further questions about the Games' immediate future and long-term relevance.

- Rutvick Mehta

Announcing Gold Coast's decision to pull out, its mayor Tom Tate said in a statement, "In simple terms, it seems our Games' vision doesn't align with the vision of the state or federal governments." 

It's a recurring theme with regards to Australia - the most successful country in the history of the CWG-and hosting the multisport event between Commonwealth nations that were former territories of the British Empire. Gold Coast came into the picture only after Victoria, originally meant to host the 2026 edition, announced in July that it will no longer be able to. There too, the state government wasn't willing to play ball citing rising costs. Estimated budgets reportedly surged from around three billion Australian dollars to more than six billion, with the then Victorian state premier Daniel Andrews stating that they were not willing to spend that kind of money on a "12-day sporting event".

If that sudden withdrawal wasn't setback enough for the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) that was left "hugely disappointed", a month later Canada's Alberta province backed out from its bid to host the 2030 CWG, again putting it down to the high financial burden.

Recurring problem